Consider the simple faith expressed in this psalm to the Lord. A confidence that evil will be punished and that good will always prevail. The future is bright. There is no need to worry.

We might assume that the author was an idealistic youth - one who has never experienced pain or disappointment. Yet this psalm did not come from any naive child. It was written by a very old man, a man who had known incredible hardships. It is a psalm of David.

Think of David. Although from a shepherd he became king, he also knew hardship. As a youth he had to flee for his life from the jealous Saul. He felt the grief over being responsible for the death of his infant son. Later, as king, he saw his children rape and kill one another. He was forced to flee Jerusalem for his life, because his own son Absalom had rebelled. Then he regained his throne at the cost of his beloved Absalom's life.

David experienced intense pain. Yet he could advise us not to worry about those who do evil. All we need do is trust in the Lord and do good. Indeed, he claims that those who commit their way to the Lord will have everything they need, even if it be but a little in comparison with those who are evil. There is nothing in the future to fear. The good will be rewarded for their efforts.

Comparing this psalm with David's life, we may think that he had an unrealistic view of providence. But consider a similar teaching from the doctrines of the New Church: "When the Lord is present with someone, he leads him, and provides that all things which happen, whether sad or joyful, befall him for good; this is the Divine providence" (Arcana Coelestia 6303). Whatever happens - being promoted or fired, realizing our dreams or having them dashed - all result in good!

A difficult idea to accept - in large part because it seems like the Lord thereby is just manipulating us, causing evil to come into our lives.

But such is not the case. The Lord would never make anything bad happen. And He would prefer that we never suffer any pain. His providence is a gentle leading which causes good things to happen, and tolerates evil things. However He permits us to hurt ourselves and He allows others to cause us pain. Not as punishment, but as the result of free choices by individuals and groups.

One of the greatest stumbling blocks to sensing mercy in His providence is that when we feel pain or worry about serious problems we think that is all there is in life. We cannot see beyond the suffering, the hurt. But while we are occupied with worry, the Lord is already looking ahead - to what can come from the experience, to how He can lead us to grow in spite of the difficulty. For the Lord's view is eternal. He sees hope when we see none. He leads to happiness when we feel hurt.

The apparently random and purposeless events in life are described in the Heavenly Doctrines with pebbles. The Lord allows a person "to go here and there, so that the moments of his life appear like scattered pebbles. But the Lord then sees whether he fills up that space between them; He sees what is lacking and where; and then, continually, what is next in order, after a hundred or a thousand years" (Spiritual Experiences 4692[m]). The Lord's sight and providence encompasses eons of time. He sees all we are, and all we might become. He then gradually provides for it - not immediately, but over the course of an eternal lifetime. Whatever happens, whatever decisions we make, or whatever others do to us - the Lord eventually turns everything to good.

Unfortunately, our view is seldom as long. We cannot see how things will turn out in twenty, much less two thousand years. And when we are suffering our sight is even more limited. So we worry about what will happen. We may try to trust in His guidance, but we are more likely to feel abandoned by the Lord. Whatever He might be doing is both invisible and insensible to us.

In such a frame of mind we might wish we could see the future, be certain of how things will work out. If we were assured of the specific outcome, or knew exactly which path were the best to follow, we could really trust in the Lord - have confidence in Him to lead us.

Yet, in this, as in all other things, the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He does not hide the workings of providence from us as a test of our trust, or a puzzle for us to sort out. The Divine does not tease us. But the Lord is fully aware that if we were to know the future, or if we received the "right" answers to our specific questions by a voice out of heaven, we would wind up destroying ourselves.

Imagine what we would feel like if someone predicted every last thing that we would experience for the 24 hours. At first we would disbelieve, but what if the predictions started coming true? It would be disturbing, to say the least. And would we not begin to feel restricted, and try to prevent the predictions from coming true?

We value our freedom, our sense of self. We will protect it at all costs. When we are forced to do something, or if we are pressured into one course of action, do we not rebel, wanting to act against that pressure?

Such resistance is not adolescent or infantile reaction to authority. It stems from our inner freedom of thought. For us to be human beings we need to think things out for ourselves and then act in freedom. Whatever choices we make determine the kind of person we become - and whether our choices are good or bad, at least they make us who we choose to be, not who someone else forces us to be.

Yet, when we are confused or suffering, we have a tremendous yearning to see something of the potential the Lord sees for us and those we love. Unfortunately, if we were able to glimpse it, we would probably work against it. A paradox which can be frustrating and lead us to worry about the future.

It would be much better if we could just let go and trust the Lord to make the best of whatever we do. That is what the angels do. They have no memory of past events from their earthly life to trouble them. Nor do they have any desire to know what is to come. For they are content in the present. Imagine if we could be so fully engaged in our present activities, dealing with what we can do rather than what is beyond our power, that we had no time to worry about the future! It is a goal worth striving for.

But for now, we tend to worry. We tend to worry about our jobs, our health, our children, the international situation, our spiritual state. It can on go on and on. Certainly some amount of thoughtful consideration is important. We are meant to make plans for the future - use good judgment to provide for our families. And we can delight in looking forward to continued productivity or happier times. But planning and worrying about what might or might not occur can become excessive.

The Psalms admonish us: "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret - it only causes harm" (37:8). Do not worry, it only causes pain. Thinking too much of the future can lead us to forget that the Lord's providence is silently guiding us. The doctrines of the New Church point out that, "a longing to know the future is innate with most people; but this longing derives its origin from the love of evil" (Divine Providence 179).

Anxiety about the future stems from a lack of confidence that the Lord can lead us to happiness. Since He works invisibly, we can think that we are the only ones who have any direct influence upon what happens. It is a subtle trust in self, and denial that the Lord can be relied upon. Certainly it appears as if we have to do all the work, but it is not the reality. For we could not have created ourselves. We can't even make ourselves happy!

So the Heavenly Doctrines describe the Lord's providence "as when one walks in thick forests, the exit out of which he does not know; but when he finds it, he attributes the discovery to himself, whereas providence meantime is as one who stands in a tower, sees the wanderings of such a person, and leads him without his knowing it to the place of exit" (Spiritual Experiences 4393). The Lord is in the tower, inspiring our thoughts, motivating our actions so that we can be led from darkness into light.

But His guiding can only be effective when we cooperate. We have to search for ways out of the forest. The Lord gave us the ability to think so we would use it. If we sit back and ponder our situation, how hopeless it may seem, little is accomplished. Can we add one cubit to our height by worrying about it? We also need to act. If we stand around and complain about how lost we are, or how unfair life is, it is very difficult for the Lord to lead us anywhere. He will not drag us out of our forests against our wills.

It is as the Psalm said: "Trust in the Lord and do good." Such simple advice, but so true! We cannot alter the past, but we can do something in the present, enabling the Lord to create a happy future.

There will still be times of selfishness where we long to know how things could possibly work out, and there will still be things happening to us which are not pleasant. We cannot control life. But we can avoid being defeated by it. We have been given the knowledge of how the Lord operates to bring about happiness in the long term. We have been given the freedom to act with reason. We have the basis for trusting in Him.

Let us then listen to the Psalm, not worrying about the future, not worrying about what is or what might be. Let us do the good that we can, and leave the rest to the Lord. After all, He should be able to do a much better job than we. Let us commit our ways to the Lord, trusting in Him, and He can give us the heavenly desires of our hearts.

(Riferimenti: Arcana Coelestia 6303; Divine Providence 176; Spiritual Experiences 2178, 4393, 4692)

148. And in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. That this signifies the state of the interior life, which is unknown to all but those who are in it, is evident from the signification of name, as denoting quality of state (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 1754, 1896, 2009, 3237, 3421). Here it denotes the quality of the state of the interior life, because it is called a new name which no one knoweth saving he that receiveth it; for the quality of this state of the life is entirely unknown to those who are not in it. Those are in the interior state of life who are in love to the Lord, and none are in love to the Lord but those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human. (That to love the Lord is to live according to His precepts, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 10143, 10153, 10578, 10645, 10829.) Interior life is the spiritual life in which the angels of heaven are, but exterior life is the natural life in which are all those who are not in heaven. With those also who live according to the precepts of the Lord, and acknowledge the Divine in His Human, the interior mind is opened, and they then become spiritual; but those who do not thus live, nor thus acknowledge, remain natural. (That the state of the interior or spiritual life is unknown to all those who are not in heavenly love, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 395-414, and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 105, 238.)

[2] That name in the Word signifies quality of state is evident from many passages, some of which shall here be adduced by way of confirmation. Thus in Isaiah:

"Lift up your eyes on high, and see; Who hath created these things? he who leadeth out the host in number; he called them all by name" (40:26).

His calling them all by name, denotes that He knows the qualities of all, and gives to them according to their state of love and faith. And in John:

"He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out" (10:2, 3).

Similarly, in Isaiah:

"Thus saith Jehovah thy creator, O Jacob, and thy former, O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name, thou art mine" (43:1).

Again:

"That thou mayest know that I am Jehovah, who had called thee by thy name. For Jacob, my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have called thee by thy name, though thou hast not known me" (45:3, 4).

I have called thee by thy name, denotes that he knew the quality of the state of the church; for Jacob and Israel are the church, Jacob the external church, and Israel the internal church.

[3] Again, in the same prophet:

O Israel, "if thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, thy name should not have been cut off nor destroyed before me" (48:19).

Cutting off and destroying the name before Jehovah, denotes the quality of the state by which conjunction is effected; this is the spiritual state of those who belong to the church which is signified by Israel. In the same:

"Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he remembered my name" (49:1).

Here remembered my name, denotes to know the quality. In the same:

"For Zion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest. And the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall utter" (62:1, 2).

Again, in the same prophet:

"He shall call his servants by another name" (65:15).

To call by a new name, and by another name, denotes to give another state of life, namely, a state of spiritual life. And in Ezekiel:

"The city of bloods, polluted by name" (22:2, 5).

The city of bloods, denotes doctrine which offers violence to the good of charity, which is said to be polluted by name, when it abounds with falsities and thence with evils, which constitute its quality.

[4] And in Moses:

"Moses said unto Jehovah, Thou hast said, I know thee by name. And Jehovah said unto Moses, This word also which thou hast spoken I will do, for I have known thee by name" (Exodus 33:12, 17).

That He knew Moses by name, denotes that He knew his quality. And in the Apocalypse:

"Thou hast a few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will confess his name before my Father. Him that overcometh, I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, and my new name" (3:4, 5, 12).

That name here signifies quality of state as to the good of love and truth of faith is evident. And in another place,

"whose names are not written in the book of life" (Apoc. 13:8; 17:8).

The names written in the book of life, are all things of a man's love and faith, thus all things of his spiritual life as to their quality. Again:

"They shall see the face" of God and the Lamb, "and his name shall be in their foreheads" (Apoc. 22:4).

[5] His name being in their foreheads, denotes a state of love; for the forehead corresponds to love, and hence signifies love. The reason why name in the Word signifies the quality of the state of man is, that in the spiritual world each one is named according to the state of life in which he is, thus variously. For spiritual speech is not like human speech; all things there are expressed according to ideas of things and of persons; and those ideas fall into words or expressions. (This will be more evident from what is shown concerning the speech of the angels of heaven, in the work, Heaven and Hell 234-245. Moreover it may be seen above, n. 102 and 135, where it is shown what the name of Jehovah, of the Lord, and of Jesus Christ, in the Word signifies.)